Getting Started on Your Research:
Research Strategy Worksheet

Steps in Your Research Strategy

Examples
 
1. Select your subject area and then focus your topic.
     a. Write the broad subject for your research. health
     b. Select some aspect of the topic to find out about. alternative medicine
 
2. Write your topic as a question you want to ask or as a statement you want to prove or disprove. Is alternative medicine effective in treating disease?
 
3. Identify the keywords from the research question or statement. alternative medicine
disease
 
4. Write some related words or phrases to use for additional searching. natural medicine
naturopathy 
holistic medicine
health
therapy
cure
 
5. Write search statements for searching a research database. 
  • Remember to join your keywords and keyword phrases with and.
  • Enclose phrases with quotation marks.
 		 "alternative medicine" and disease

"alternative medicine" and cure

health and naturopathy
 
6. Write search statements for searching the Library Catalogue.
  • For a catalogue Quick Search, place your keywords side by side.
  • Enclose phrases with quotation marks.
 "alternative medicine" disease

"alternative medicine" cure

health naturopathy